Presentation of Accountability Group

Date: May 27, 2004

Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan

Facilitators: Baktybek Sabirov, Zainab Saliyeva

Problems/Difficulties / Ways to Solve/Overcome Problems / What the World Bank Can Do
Reluctance of government structures, business and other structures to be accountable to society / ·  Develop legal procedure
·  Develop culture of accountability / ·  Expert assessment
·  Training of civil servants in developing legal procedures of accountability
Passivity of society/citizens regarding accountability / ·  Develop culture of accountability
·  Training and enlistment of citizens in conducting an advocacy campaign
·  Provide information through mass media / ·  Expert assessment
·  Training of NGO/state at national level that handle policymaking
“The haves don’t want to/The have-nots can’t/are tired/don’t know” / ·  Enlistment of citizens/institutions as observers, “auditors” in implementation of national poverty-reduction programs
·  / ·  Resource support (information, experience, knowledge)
Failure by individuals/institutions to comply with current laws on accountability / ·  Call to account before society for failure to comply with laws
·  Advocacy campaigns
·  Educational programs
·  Articles, reports on research in compliance with accountability procedures / ·  Expert assessment
·  Work with government institutions
Weak democratic institutions / ·  Mold public opinion on issue of accountability
·  Improve access to information on resources used for poverty reduction / ·  Expert assessment
·  Define criteria of accountability of state/other institutions regarding loans, grants received
Lack of Law on Civil Servants (Uzbekistan) / ·  Advocacy campaigns for adopting a law / ·  Expert assessment
·  Pilot project to adopt this law (Uzbekistan)
Shortage of knowledge on accountability procedures at all levels / ·  Education/training courses
·  Development of a manual on accountability procedures / ·  Include paragraph on developing a manual in World Bank strategy document, agreement with national government
Lack of practice using service-evaluation cards / ·  Introduce use of service-evaluation cards (health care, education and local self--government bodies) / ·  Expert assessment
·  Information resources on introducing use of method of service evaluation through cards
Lack of indicators on effective participation of institutions in accountability process / ·  Development and discussion of indicators with participation of all sectors of civil society / ·  Expert assessment
·  Information resources (experience of other countries)
·  Education
Poor accountability/lack of accountability of deputies to voters / ·  Education, meetings, round-table discussions
·  Dissemination of information through institutions / ·  Expert assessment
·  Information resources (experience of other countries)
·  Consultations
·  Monitoring and evaluation
Nonacceptance by government institutions of other institutions as an equal partner and consumer of services / ·  Information regulation
·  Training
Make revisions in laws on responsibility for quality of services provided (e.g. in education, health care, etc.) / ·  Expert assessment
·  Information resources (experience of other countries)
·  Consultations
·  Monitoring and evaluation
Lack of transparency of government structures/central and local government bodies / ·  Inform government representative on accountability experience of other countries
·  Development of training programs for government institutions / ·  Resources (informational, technical)
·  Joint monitoring and evaluation by World Bank, civil-society institutions